[Echocardiography detection of intracavitary ventricular tumors]

Intracavitary ventricular tumors were found in 3 male patients (newborn, and 18 and 23 years old) by 2-D echocardiography (metastasis of an osteogenic sarcoma in the right ventricle, teratoma embryonale growing from the retroperitoneum into the right ventricle, rhabdomyoma of the left ventricle). They all showed a uniform echo pattern and two of them were pedunculated. Wall motility, valves and cardiac dimensions were normal. In each case diagnosis was confirmed intraoperatively or at autopsy. Clinically the metastasis of the osteogenic sarcoma presented as obstruction of the superior vena cava, whereas the teratoma embryonale imitated tricuspid valve disease. The rhabdomyoma caused a systolic murmur and severe postpartal sinus bradycardia. It was successfully removed on the basis of echocardiography alone. 2-D echocardiography is a reliable, noninvasive diagnostic tool for evaluation of intracavitary, ventricular tumors.